The widespread acceptance of solar energy will require the solar PV industry to mature to the level necessary for adoption amongst the entire population, not just the early adopters and green enthusiasts.

There are several common concerns amongst current and potential solar buyers, more so for those population groups that are less inclined to adopt a new or unique technology (late adopters and laggards). These concerns are mostly due to the lack of general information about solar energy, including a lack of knowledge of laws and initiatives on both the state and federal level that greatly mitigate the risk of going solar.

The following are some of the primary concerns commonly expressed by potential solar adopters, excluding the most important factor in the majority of solar installations – financials.

Reliability of Solar Energy Providers

With well funded national solar integrators and well established local players, this is becoming less of a concern for potential solar buyers. Further remedy to this issue involves better brand-building practices by the major solar integrators to increase awareness and familiarity - establishing “brand names” that people will know and trust.

Issues with Neighborhood Codes and Covenants

Many states now have laws prohibiting HOA’s from banning solar installations. However, the industry doesn’t have the resources to sue every association who ignores this law. More importantly, solar integrators don’t want to antagonize the very people they are trying to convert to solar energy. Thus, integrators are reaching out to local neighborhood committees to inform, educate and quell concerns over solar in their communities.

Vulnerability of Solar to Weather Extremes

With manufacturers improving their cut sheets and marketing materials to list hail, fire, and wind ratings / capabilities – this is becoming less of an issue. Also, there are now several real-life examples of solar PV systems holding up in extreme weather (as with the tornado and hail storm that hit Windsor, CO in 2008).

Uncertainties about System Longevity

This is an ongoing concern, as there is no hard evidence of the longevity or output reliability of solar energy installed today. In fact this information (outside of stress tests in laboratories) will not be available for a couple of decades. To address this, some solar integrators have begun to offer production guarantees with their systems – compensating solar owners if their systems don’t perform to specifications.

System Efficiency in Converting Sunlight to Electricity

The efficiency percentages of solar cells and panels themselves sound unimpressive to the lay person – 8%, 12%, even 20% sounds like a low figure. Integrators must put these numbers in perspective; they can’t let potential customers get hung up on these percentages. Converting 12% of the sun’s energy, the cleanest and most abundant energy source available, is pretty darn good. The efficiency figures are only relevant when comparing different panels to each other, or when comparing to the efficiency of converting fossil fuels to electricity.

Health and Safety Concerns, During and After Installation

A most pressing concern is potential roof damage during system installation. Nearly every potential solar homeowner expresses concern about leaking and damage to the roof surface, especially on concrete and Spanish tile. Extended warranties on labor and reliable integrators have been the solution to this issue.

The concern of vandalism and theft has risen drastically in light of recent news of stolen and defaced solar panels. There are several companies with solutions for these concerns, with security systems designed specifically for solar systems.

Maintenance and Warranty of a Solar Energy System

This is an issue that is being solved through comprehensive labor warranty and maintenance programs offered through many solar integrators. The extended solar panel and inverter warranties are also very comforting to solar adopters.

Technological Advancements in Solar

“With all the cool new technologies I keep hearing about, won’t my system become outdated technologically?” Or another one, “Won’t the solar panel costs keep coming down? I hear that there are new technologies that will be 10% of the cost of what solar is today?” These are questions that come in nearly every day from people thinking of going solar.

The answer to these questions vary, but center around the theme that solar is now - both financially and technologically. There are many promises of better and cheaper solar panels in the near future, but the current solar rebates and credits are likely much larger than these potential future savings on solar. The current US solar integrator market is still in a shakeout, and still highly fragmented. This has led to solar installation prices dropping to drastically low levels. Thus, potential solar adopters can either take advantage of a subsidized, buyers market today, or gamble on the promises of ultra-cheap and ultra-efficient solar of the future.

There are other concerns, but these are reoccurring issues from potential solar adopters. With the US approaching 100,000 solar installations, the solar integrator industry is making great strides in addressing these barriers for the many interested, but discerning, home and business owners.

-Jesse Malcomb

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